This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s senior fall editorial intern Arianna Nahim. Find her on Instagram at @ariannanahim. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
The Wednesday we have all been waiting for finally arrived. The much-anticipated music wraps up the year, containing a summary of user’s listening patterns as we near the end of the year. In the past, Spotify Wrap has included fun insights like the type of user you are or which city you fit best in based on your listening history. A much-awaited reveal though is user’s top five artist of the year ranked from most listened to and so on.
Personally, mine featured artists like Lana Del Rey, Charli XCX, Mitski, Suki Waterhouse, and Chappell Roan. I know all women I’m pretty much the most perfect feminist. According to Spotify the top five artists streamed globally in 2024 in order are: Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Bad Bunny, Drake, and Billie Eilish. So, a lot more mainstream artist. If you’re looking to diversify your top five artists for your 2025 Spotify wrap, then you’ll want to keep reading.
BLOOD ORANGE:
This year Blood Orange’s, “Champagne Coast,” blew up on Tik-Tok, and rightfully so. Blood Orange is also featured in the keeps you on the edge of your seat film “Challengers.” Blood Orange creates a special imaginative and dream-like sound is a signature. When you are listening to Blood Orange it’s almost like you are coasting through memories, experiences, or a feeling. Though it may be seen as, “basic,” ‘Champagne Coast is my favorite song of theirs. It’s everything Blood Orange is. While listening you’ll feel what it’s like when all the memories come rushing through you. It’s glances that linger. It’s images that are starting to blur, yet the feelings that persist.
LORDE
Lorde has always crafted her songs around adolescence—the messiness of it, the hard lessons, the moments that make you feel invincible. Recently I’ve had, “Liability,” on loop. A feature that is very evident throughout Lorde’s work though is her relationship with her adolescence. She is trying to grow up, but she cannot help but continuously yearn for whatever she is singing about.
PHOEBE BRIDGERS
Phoebe Bridgers is for when you just want to sit and think about that one person. Whoever you’re thinking about wasn’t a stranger, but now they practically are. It could’ve been the inevitable nature of growing up or the purposeful parting of ways. Like in, “Scott Street,” specifically, The sound of a train reminding us that we’ve left. The child like and breezy instrumentals make this even more gut wrenching. All of Bridger’s songs have a little bit of this looking back with rose-colored glasses and thinking it wasn’t so bad, and maybe it wasn’t, but it’s the past for a reason.
FRANK OCEAN
Frank Ocean is no stranger to creating great songs. He has the ability to say a simple phrase with layered meanings. Specifically, “Self-Control,” is a song of his that I think really captures who he is as an artist. For example, the most famous line in the song, “You cut your hair, but you used to live a blonded life,” implies the individual’s change is not just superficial. It might have even been an attempt at growing. Self-control is talking to someone you used to speak to every day for the first time in maybe weeks, months, or years. The outro is coming to the end of that conversation and understanding it’s time to part ways because life has changed, and you’re not that person with blonde hair anymore, and maybe that’s okay.
FIONA APPLE
Whenever I mention Fiona Apple to someone, I am always so shocked when they say they’ve never heard of her. Honestly, I’d say I’ve run into this far too many times. Fiona Apple is who I imagine Paris Geller listens to when she wants to relate to someone. Fiona Apple is for the girls who get told they come off too angry, talk to much, talk too little. If you are looking for a song that will easily pull you in I’d recommend, “I Want You To Love Me.” It has that signature Apple flow where it’s like her mind is moving faster than her mouth and her amazing piano skills.
With Spotify probably already tracking your listening habits there is no time like the present to try some new artists. While I enjoy my regularly played artists myself, I think music is the perfect medium for venturing into the unknown.
Which underrated artists should we highlight next? Comment below!
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